Typewriting machine



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TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1934 INVENTOR ATTORNEY HI IllI-luunnu ll-VIN"..-

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES JUUH vii PATENT OFFIQE TYPEWRITINGMACHINE Russell E. Benner, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to RemingtonTypewriter Company, Ilion, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJanuary 17, 1934, Serial No. 706,995

4 Claims.

My invention relates to typewriting, computing, and like machines andmore particularly to key construction for such machines.

One of the main objects of my invention, generally stated, is to providesimple, inexpensive and effective rubber cushion keys which may bereadily attached to key levers or stems and effectively held thereonagainst accidental detachment.

A further object of my invention is to provide rubber cushion keys ofthe character specified which may be readily applied to and held againstaccidental displacement from the key levers with the aid of the usualmetallic key rings by which the key cards are ordinarily held inposition in existing machines, and without the necessity of providingspecial key rings or metallic securing means for holding the rubber keysin place.

To the above and other ends which will hereinafter appear my inventionconsists in the fea tures of construction, arrangements of parts andcombinations of devices set forth in the following description andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in the different views- Fig. l is an enlarged detailperspective view of a rubber key constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail side view partly in section of a modifiedform of rubber key.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a key ring such as isemployed in the construction.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the key capconstruction and showing the rubber key attached to a key lever.

Considerable diificulty has been encountered heretofore when employingrubber cushion keys in effectively attaching them to the key levers orkey stems of the machine so as to prevent the accidental detachment ofsuch keys. Moreover, it has been customary to provide special metallicclamps or fastening means for securing the rubber keys in place, butthis is an added expense and has not always proved successful whenapplying the keys to different machines in the field, and in many casesadds considerably to the height of the keys in the key board.

One of the main objects of my invention is to overcome these and otherdifliculties and provide a simple and inexpensive rubber cushion key soconstructed that it may be effectively and readily connected to the keylevers with the aid of the ordinary key rings by which the key cards areordinarily held in place and without adding unduly to the usual heightof the keys in the key board.

with these ends in view each rubber cushion key I is made with aperipheral groove I I therein. The upper section and main body portionI2 of the rubber key is made of relatively soft rubber, whereas thelower section I3, or a portion thereof below the circumferential grooveII is made of relatively hard rubber for purposes which will presentlyappear. A key ring I4, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is of the usualconstruction and is similar to that employed in most Remington and othermachines on the market. This key ring has an inwardly projectingcircular flange I5 ordinarily adapted to bear down on a key cardsupported on the usual sheet metal key cap I6 riveted to a key lever orstem IT, with the aid of a washer IT, as indicated at I8. Each key ringis usually secured frictionally to its key cap I6 by a drive fit, thoughit may be held in place by any other suitable means.

The present construction is such that the comparatively thin, relativelyhard, disk-like rubber section I3 is formed integral with the relativelysoft body I2 of the rubber key at the bottom thereof and below thecircumferential groove I I. For clearness of illustration I haverepresented the two sections I2 and I3 in Figs. 2 and 4 by differentcharacters of hatch lines. The hard rubber section is, in the presentinstance, approximately one sixty-fourth of an inch thick and rests onthe ledge I9 of the cup-like metal key cap I6. It will be seen, in Fig.4 for example, that the portion of the rubber key below thecircumferential groove II is formed partly of soft rubber and partly ofhard rubber, with the soft rubber uppermost so that the flange I5 maybear down on said softer part and thereby secure a better grippingaction. It will also be observed that the edge of the soft rubberportion upon which the flange I5 bears and grips is parallel to thebottom, hard rubber side of the key, thus affording an easy and firmattachment of the ring I4. In the absence of the relatively hard rubbersection I3 each rubber key III could not be reliably held againstaccidental displacement from its key lever. This is especially true inthe present instance since but a comparatively small amount of rubber isprovided below the circumferential groove II and between the pointswhere the hard rubber of the key coacts with the ledge I9 and the softrubber with flange I5. The amount of rubber at this portion of the key,indicated by the distance between the lines a and b in Fig. 4, in thepresent instances is approximately one sixteenth of an inch thick and aspointed out above one sixty-fourth of an inch of this is hard rubber.When it is understood that the parts shown in Fig. 4 are drawn on ascale of about six to one with reference to one of the small keys in thekey board, the small amount of rubber at this point will be betterappreciated. It will be understood, however, that from certain points ofview this small amount of rubber beneath the .groove I l is a highlydesirable factor in that it enables the rubber key to be held in placeby the ordinary key ring I4 and occupies a space no greater than thatrequired for the usual key card. This also aids in providing a rubbercushion key which does not extend to a considerable height above that ofthe usual keys in the ke board.

The relatively soft body portion I! of the rubber key is sufficientlysoft to provide a cushion and a resilient soft touch under the action ofthe operators fingers thereon and a good gripping surface for the flangel5, and the relatively hard section i3 is sufficiently thin so that itdoes not materially detract from the cushion effect, especially when itis understood that the rubber key is supported by the key cap 16 only atand near the periphery of the rubber key. The section I3 is ofsufficient hardness to prevent the rubber key from being accidentallydetached from the key lever but is, nevertheless, not so hard as toprevent the lower portion thereof from being forced through the openingin the key ring and seated beneath the flange I5 thereof, as shown inFig. 4.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by the presentinvention it is unnecessary to provide any special metallic fasteningmeans other than the key rings usually provided on the machine in orderto secure the rubber keys in place, and that there is no question of theusual key rings not properly fitting on the key levers of the machineequipped with them and of the rubber keys not being held firmly in placethereby.

The modified form of rubber key shown in Fig. 2 is like that shown inthe remaining figures except that there is an increased thickness ofrelatively hard rubber employed at 20 near its periphery and between theflange l5 and the support 19, which in some instances may be found moredesirable and affords a greater security at this point where it isrequired most. It will be observed that in this form of the inventionalso, the hard rubber is provided in a layer on the bottom of the softportion below the circumferential groove ll, thus providing a softrubber gripping surface for the projecting flange l5 of the key ring I4. Furthermore, even with the increased thickness of hard rubber nearthe periphery thereof, the lower attaching section maintains itsparallel edges to afiord an easy and firm attachment of the ring II.

I am aware that heretofore it has been proposed to provide a rubber keywith a circumferential groove therein in which a metallic flange isseated to secure the key to the key lever or stem. I do not claim suchconstruction broadly, the effectiveness of the present construction forthe purposes set forth depending on a key having a relatively softrubber portion and a relatively hard rubber integral portionsubstantially as described above.

While I have described in detail two forms of construction embodying myinvention and have given dimensions of parts thereof which I prefer toemploy, it should be understood that changes may be made in theconstruction and in such dimensions without departing from my inventionas it is deflned 1n the accompanying claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a rubber cushion key having acircumferential groove therein and comprising a relatively soft rubbersection with which the finger of the operator contacts and an integralrelatively hard rubber section of approximately one sixty-fourth of aninch in thickness located at the bottom of said key, the thickness ofthe key below said circumferential groove being approximately onesixteenth of an inch and corresponding substantially to the thickness ofthe usual key card, whereby said rubber key may be effectively securedin place by the usual key ring, the retaining flange of which ispositioned within the circumferential groove of said key and grips thesoft rubber portion which forms the lower wall of said groove.

2. In a key construction for typewriting and like machines, thecombination of a cup-like key cap having a supporting ledge andupstanding circumferential flange thereon, a key ring detachablyconnected to said flange and having an inwardly extending circularflange, and a rubber cushion key having a circumferential groove thereinin which said inturned flange on the key ring may be seated, saidcushion key comprising an upper relatively soft rubber section havingthe circumferential groove therein and an integral lower, circular,relatively hard rubber section, all of the portion of said key belowsaid circum ferential groove being seated within the cup-like key capwith the lower hard rubber section hearing near its edge portion only onsaid supporting ledge and the adjacent soft portion clamped by theflange of the key ring.

3. In a key construction for typewriting and like machines, thecombination of a cup-like key cap having a supporting ledge andupstanding circumferential flange thereon, a key ring detachablyconnected to said flange and having an inwardly extending circularflange, and a rubber cushion key having a circumferential groove thereinin which said intumed flange on the key ring may be seated, said cushionkey comprising an upper relatively soft rubber section having thecircumferential groove therein and an integral lower, circular,relatively hard rubber section, all of the portion of said key belowsaid circumferential groove being seated within the cup-like key capwith the lower hard rubber section thereof bearing near its edge portiononly on said supporting ledge and the adjacent soft portion clamped bythe flange of the key ring, the thickness of the relatively hard rubberof the key being greater near the periphery thereof than near the centerto provide a greater resistance to the accidental detachment of the key.

4. As an article of manufacture, a rubber cushion key comprising anupper relatively thick and soft rubber section, and an integralrelatively thin and hard rubber section located below said soft section,said upper section having a circumferential groove therein which dividessaid key into an upper finger striking portion and a lower attachingportion, the location of said groove being such that said attachingportion has a lower hard layer which provides the required rigidity andan upper soft layer which provides a soft gripping surface for the usualkey ring.

RUSSELL E. BENNER.

